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Catalog view is the alternative 2D representation of our 3D virtual art space. This page is friendly to assistive technologies and does not include decorative elements used in the 3D gallery.

Space Title

▷ Metamorphis ◁

Within the World Titled Metamorphis
Credited to Luca Lee
Opening date December 12th, 2022
View 3D Gallery
Main image for ▷ Metamorphis ◁

Statement:

▸ Sound on, headphones recommended
▸ Hover over or click on the sound icons to read translations and transcriptions
▸ Check the catalog for a deeper understanding of the space

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In 2026, Luca, a queer immigrant from Chile based in New York, finds himself talking with an artificially intelligent being resembling the person he was before his gender transition, L.

Confused if this is a dream, hallucination, or the final culmination of years of research and artistic exploration on the possibilities of human-AI collaboration, he gets absorbed into the words he’s listening to.

Trained with a vast database of Luca’s photographs, videos, audio recordings, and narrated memories, L randomly selects a few topics to deliver her first words to Luca: she reads a fragment of the book Americanah by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. She speaks about political resistance in the Trump era.

Luca, impressed by the accuracy of L’s pitch, responds to what he’s listening to, overwhelmed with emotion by her presence.

3D Environment Description:

As you enter the experience, you will see the Metamorphis title, 3D lettering with a metallic reflection. Below there're two Penrose tribars, which are 3D metallic triangle shapes where each side forms a shallow S-curve. They are both in the same position, but one is static, and the other rotates in its Y-axis. Behind the title, there's a sign that says "press 0 to return to the origin", also with a metallic texture.

As you move forward, you will find a green cube rendered as a point cloud, animated to rotate in its Z-axis. It is intertwined with a smaller yellow cube, also rendered as a point cloud, animated to rotate in its Y and Z-axis. These two animated elements surround the viewers while they navigate the space. Both point clouds represent an abstraction of a womb that holds the two characters.

As you enter the center of the space, you’ll find two point cloud models with a human shape seated in green, semitransparent, solid cubes. The one on the left is pink, and her name is L. The one on the right is blue, and his name is Luca. They look at each other and are two different versions of the same human being.

By entering the pink model, L, you'll find two audio recordings. One is a fragment of the book Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and the other is a fragment of a text written by the artist back in 2017. Both audio recordings are delivered by the same voice, with its pitch being between 165 to 255 Hz.

By entering the blue model, Luca, you will find one audio recording, a fragment of Larry Mitchell's book "The Faggots and Their Friends Between Revolutions" translated into Spanish. The pitch is different, it oscillates within 85 to 155 Hz.

Behind each character, there is a HD video. The one behind L is a time-lapse of the Cordillera de Los Andes in Chile. It is a dark purple-tinged mountain scene with clouds moving quickly over it from left to right. Over 35 seconds, the sun rises over the clouds, covering the mountains in blotches of orange and golden light.

Behind Luca, there's a top-down video of a busy 3D-rendered city intersection tinged purple. Cars move placidly through the intersection at an uncannily even pace. The city is New York.

Artworks in this space:

Artwork title

Zone 1

Artwork Description:

Metamorphis title, 3D lettering with a metallic reflection. Below there are two Penrose tribars in the same position, one is static, and the other one rotates in its Y axis. Behind the title there's a sign that says: "Move forward using the W key or forward arrow, if lost, press 0 to return to the origin".

Artwork title

Metamorphis Zone 1 Tour

Artwork title

Penrose Tribar (adapted)

Artwork Description:

The Penrose’s Tribar is a cubical structure arranged in a triangle shape. An optical illusion consisting of an object which can be depicted in a perspective drawing, but cannot exist as a solid object. It was first created by the Swedish artist Oscar Reutersvärd in 1934, and then popularized in the 1950s by psychiatrist Lionel Penrose and his son, the mathematician Roger Penrose, who described it as impossibility in its purest form. The artist M.C. Escher played off of in many of his prints.

An adaptation of the tribar has been included in this world, as two "possible" 3D objects, one being static, and the other one rotating in its Y axis. The tribars represent possibility within the constrictions of time and space. The possibility of two versions of the same human being interacting within the same -virtual- space.

Artwork title

Zone 2

Artwork Description:

Two point cloud models with a human shape seated in green, semitransparent, solid cubes. The one on the left is pink, the one on the right is blue. They both look at each other. They are two different versions of the same human being.

Zone 2
Artwork title

Metamorphis Zone 2 Tour

Artwork title

Green Cube

Artwork Description:

A green cube rendered as a point cloud. It's been animated to rotate in its Z axis, and by doing so, the viewers experience many points moving and surrounding them while they navigate the space. Both the yellow and green cubes represent an abstraction of a "womb" which holds the two characters, both also rendered as point clouds 

Artwork title

Yellow Cube

Artwork Description:

A yellow cube rendered as a point cloud. It's been animated to rotate in its Y and Z axes, and by doing so, the viewers experience many points moving and surrounding them while they navigate the space. Both the yellow and green cubes represent an abstraction of a "womb" which holds the two characters, both also rendered as point clouds 

Artwork title

Lissette and Luca

Artwork Description:

Both Luca and Lissette characters were created as 3D models (meshes) first before conversion to point clouds. I started creating Luca's character by getting a full-body 3D scan of myself, provided by NYCAP3D. From this 3D scan I created and improved both models, posed them, and used Meshlab to add color and convert them point clouds.

Artwork title

Zone 3

Artwork Description:

A pink point cloud with a human shape. Her name is Lissette. Behind the character, there's a HD video displaying a time-lapse of the Cordillera de Los Andes in Chile. It is a dark purple-tinged mountain scene with clouds moving quickly over it from left to right. Over 35 seconds, the sun rises over the clouds, covering the mountains in blotches of orange and golden light.

Zone 3
Artwork title

Womb

Artist name Luca Lee
Artwork title

Womb

Artist name Luca Lee
Artwork title

Metamorphis Zone 3 Tour

Artwork title

Americanah

Artwork Description:

English translation of a fragment of Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: 
“At least you are now an American citizen so you can always return to America,” her father had said. Both of them had asked if Blaine would be coming with her, their question heavy with hope. It amused her how often they asked about Blaine now, since it had taken them a while to make peace with the idea of her black American boyfriend. She imagined them nursing quiet plans for her wedding; her mother would think of a caterer and colors, and her father would think of a distinguished friend he could ask to be the sponsor. Reluctant to flatten their hope, because it took so little to keep them hoping, which in turn kept them happy (...)"

Spanish transcription of a fragment of Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: “Al menos ahora tienes la nacionalidad estadounidense, así que siempre puedes volver a Estados Unidos”, había dicho su padre. Los dos habían mostrado mucho interés en saber si Blaine la acompañaría, colmadas sus preguntas de esperanza. A ella le hacía gracia lo mucho que le preguntaban ahora por Blaine, porque les había llevado su tiempo conciliarse con la idea de ese novio negro estadounidense suyo. Los imaginaba fraguando planes calladamente para su boda; su madre pensaría en el catering y los colores, y su padre pensaría en algún distinguido amigo a quien pedir que actuara de padrino. Reacia a desilusionarlos, ya que era poco lo que se necesitaba para alimentar sus ilusiones, que a su vez los ayudaban a conservar la felicidad, explicó su padre (...)"

Artwork title

Exile

Artwork Description:

English transcription: 
"I think you’re depressed", you said one night in Montauk, in our Christmas retreat the Winter after Trump’s election. Not depressed. I’m just resisting political domination, I said. But really, I felt that I wasn’t resisting anymore. I started using they/them pronouns, claiming my queerness in English, after realizing that the Spanish failed to satisfy my desire for gender neutrality. Through language, I surrendered to the biggest empire again. And more than ever, I felt like an exile in my own body.

Audio description: Audio recording of me reading a fragment of a text written back in 2017, before hormone replacement therapy, process that changed my pitch.

Artwork title

Zone 4

Artwork Description:

A blue point cloud with a human shape. His name is Luca. Behind the character there's a HD video displaying a top-down perspective of a busy 3D-rendered city intersection tinged purple. Cars move placidly through the intersection at an uncannily even pace. The city is New York.

Zone 4
Artwork title

Metamorphis Zone 4 Tour

Artwork title

Hadas y Maricas

Artwork Description:

English translation of a fragment of Larry Mitchel's The Faggots and Their Friends Between Revolutions: 
Fairies are the friends of the faggots. They help each other whenever they can. The fairies do not live among the men. They live in trees and caves and bushes. They come out at night to dance and sing. The men know that there are fairies but are not sure if they have seen one or not. Only the faggots have seen them for sure. Sometimes the fairies dance and sing for the faggots and sometimes the faggots dance and sing for the fairies, and sometimes, the best times, they dance and sing together.

Spanish transcription of a fragment of Larry Mitchel's The Faggots and Their Friends Between Revolutions: Las hadas son amigas de los maricas. Se ayudan entre si siempre que pueden. Las hadas no viven entre los hombres. Viven en los arboles, cuevas y arbustos. Salen de noche para bailar y cantar. Los hombres saben que las hadas existen, pero no estan seguros de haber visto alguna. Solo los maricas estan seguros de haberlas visto. A veces las hadas bailan y cantan para los maricas y a veces los maricas bailan y cantan para las hadas y a veces, en las mejores ocasiones, bailan y cantan todas juntas.